Savin' Me
by littlestephhy
Summary: Katherine is human and has caught Silas' eye. He's noticed the way Katherine and Damon seem to edge around each other and wants to put them to the test. Using a compelled Katherine as a toy, he challenges Damon's love for Elena by exposing an existing flame for the girl he loved over 150 years ago. Katherine&Damon. One Shot.


"Damon."

A sweet voice called out to him, making him flinch. The elder Salvatore raised his icy blue eyes to the the staircase. Nothing. Trailing the the staircase, Damon let his eyes take him up the stairs and along the carpeted hall of the upper floor.

And there she was. Standing atop the railing that prevented most from falling to their death's. Stupid girl! What did she think she was doing? Playing this game? He could have her down and out the front door before she could blink. But human or not, Katherine was still Katherine; and she loved to play games.

Only, Damon got the feeling Katherine wasn't playing a game. Even from such a distance -from such a height- he could see the shine in her eyes. Not a joy or an excitement. A sadness. The brimming of salty tears that she was fighting desperately to keep back.

"What the hell are you doing up there, Katherine?" the Salvatore asked. His right eyebrow raised considerably as he studied her. The slim girl was clothed in a black robe - very similar to the one she had borrowed after tricking him into helping her escape the tomb. Long tendrils of curly damp hair dripped down her back, framing her face and exposing the strange lack of smokey make-up that usually coated her eyes. She looked somewhat natural. Beautiful.

"Did I ever tell you I was afraid of heights?" she asked and Damon could hear the curious undertone. She wasn't asking for herself. There was something malicious about the way she asked. Something inhuman. Something not quite Katherine. It shook him.

"You're not afraid of heights, Katherine. You're not afraid of anything." he countered, watching the way her eyes raised in delight. Well, that had certainly caught her attention. But then something changed. Her eyebrows furrowed in an annoyingly cute kind of way and her lips curled back, exposing her teeth in a way only a vampire could. But there were no fangs. Only pure, unfiltered rage.

"I was afraid of Klaus!" she screamed. "I was terrified of him and you and your brother just handed me right on over to him. Served me up like some useless pet" she snapped, tiny hands gripping the pillar next to her as she leaned forward. Damon stepped forward just half a second later. He didn't know why. Why should he care if she fell? This was Katherine they were talking about! Katherine Pierce! The woman who had ruined his life countless times and even now, was destroying his chances with Elena just by being here. Just by breathing.

"Katherine, get down from there!" he yelled up at her, beginning to feel angry. Idiot! What if she fell? She was human now, there was no chance she'd be able to save herself. But still, her balance was surprisingly impressive.

"Why?" she asked, popping out her left hip. The tears were gone from her eyes and had been replaced with a devious glint. She no longer held a sad expression and instead, let a toying smirk grace her lips.

"Are you scared I might fall? Are you worried about me, Damon?" the brunette asked. Her eyebrows had raised inquisitively and she stepped away from the pillar. Raising both arms at her sides, Katherine lifted one foot off of the wooden railing and circled her ankle.

"Are you watching, Damon? Would you catch me if I fell? Now that I'm human, I can't stop myself. Would you catch me?" Katherine asked. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she slowly turned around, her back to the eldest Salvatore as he once again yelled at her to get down. But she ignored him and once again, raised her arms out at her sides.

"Would you save me?" she whispered.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion then. Well, for Damon any way. He watched in horror as his first love slowly began to lean back. As she arched her body too far to stop herself. He darted forward as her feet fell away from the railing.

A mere half-second later, Damon held Katherine in his arms. Left arm under her knees and right arm looped around her back. Katherine herself had her arms circled around his shoulders, hands clapsed together tightly at the nape of his neck. But her eyes were closed. And her chest wasn't moving.

"Katherine?" he asked, shaking her body carefully. Mahogany strands of hair brushed soothingly against his arm and Damon became hyper-aware of every part of her body. Her smooth legs against his arm and the tiny goose-pimples spreading across her skin in each place his fingers touched. The silk of the robe that separated her upper body from his and the placement of his hand just below her breast. He could swear his heart leapt.

And then she sucked in a breath, dragging Damon back to the terrifying thought that she might be dead. But that was impossible! He'd caught her! He'd...well he'd saved her!

Katherine opened her eyes slowly and Damon looked down immediately. Those chocolate brown pools met his own icy glaciers and he lost his entire train of thought.

Well, for a moment anyway. Her pupils were huge, even in the bright daylight of the summer morning. She blinked multiple times and her eyes eventually returned to normal.

She'd been compelled. Dammit! He should have known!

A smile broke out across the girl's lips, distracting him and she closed her eyes slowly.

"You saved me." she whispered and Damon could swear it was the most innocent and beautiful moment of Katherine's life.


End file.
